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Konserwa- Polish Homemade Canned Pork Recipe

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Five jars of Polish food on a table with a checkered tablecloth.

Disclaimer: Use this recipe at your own risk. Canning the meat improperly is a risk of getting botulism which is very dangerous.

Before I met my amazing mom-in-law I wouldn’t think making homemade canned pork is a good idea. I would be afraid to get sick after eating meat that has been in a jar for months. It all changed when I started to dig into the secrets of Polish cuisine with her. 

She showed me the diversity of Polish cuisine, she taught me how to cook properly, and on top of that, she made me fell in love with Polish food.

I now understand that when you pasteurize food properly, you may safely eat it even after months. Many years ago people in Poland couldn’t buy fresh food every day. For example, when they killed a pig once or twice a year, they needed to make sure the pork will be ok to eat after some time.

Not all of them had fridges, so they came out with a brilliant idea to pasteurize food. Canned food is now available in every grocery store, however, most of it is simply bad. Flavor enhancers and preservatives are things we should avoid. That’s why I want to share with you my mom-in-law’s homemade canned pork recipe. It’s surprisingly simple!

Why Do You Need To Have This Polish Homemade Canned Pork In Your Kitchen?

Here are some of the reasons why this Polish homemade canned pork recipe is worth trying:

  • you’ll have a healthy, ready-to-eat dinner in your fridge anytime you’ll need it
  • you’ll have a delicious homemade spread for your sandwich
  • you’ll have perfect camping food for your trip

Tips For Making Konserwa- Polish Homemade Canned Pork

Place The Meat Tightly Into The Jars.

Don’t leave too much space between the pieces of the pork. The tighter the meat will be squeezed, the better.

Cover The Meat With Lard Or Water.

If your pork is fatty, you can cover it with water. If it’s normal, put some lard on the top instead.

Pasteurize The Jars For 3 Days.

Even though this homemade canned pork recipe is super simple, you will need to boil the jars for three days in a row to make sure your konserwa pasteurizes well.

What To Serve Homemade Canned Pork With?

You can serve it warm for dinner. I like to mix canned pork with tomato paste and have it with salad and mashed potatoes. Yummy!

You can also serve it cold. Eat it solo or put on the sandwich with some fresh veggies.

Konserwa- Polish Homemade Canned Pork Recipe

Yield: 30 servings

Konserwa- Polish Homemade Canned Pork Recipe

Five jars of Polish food on a table with a checkered tablecloth.

Homemade canned pork makes a perfect camping food!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Additional Time 3 days 8 hours
Total Time 3 days 11 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 lbs / 4 kg of pork (loin, shoulder, ham, etc.)
  • 2 tbsps of salt
  • 1 tbsp of dried marjoram
  • 1 tsp of black pepper
  • 12 tbsps of lard

Instructions

  1. Wash and dice the meat (each piece should be about ½" x ½" / 1,5cm x 1,5cm).
  2. Mix the meat with spices, place it in the fridge overnight.
  3. The next day, prepare 12 jars (16oz / 0,5l). Sterilize jars and lids with boiling hot water.
  4. Place the meat tightly into the jars. The meat should fill ¾ of each jar.
  5. Smooth the meat with the spoon, then cover it with lard (1 tbsp for a jar). If your pork is already fatty, you may use water instead (the water should reach the level of the meat).
  6. Close the jars. Now it's time for the pasteurizing process.
  7. Take a big pot that will fit all the jars. You can also take a couple of small jars.
  8. Place the clean dishcloth on the bottom of the jar.
  9. Put the jars onto the dishcloth.
  10. Cover them with water. The water should reach half the jars.
  11. Bring the water to boil (slowly), then cook for 1,5 hour. Cool off the jars and put them into the fridge.
  12. The next day (after 24 hours) repeat the process. Cook the jars for 1 hour after the water starts boiling, then place them in the fridge.
  13. On the third day (after 72 hours) repeat the process. Cook the jars for 30 minutes after the water starts boiling.
  14. Your homemade canned pork is ready to eat! Keep the jars in the cold pantry, cellar, or fridge for up to 12 months.

Notes

Disclaimer: Use this recipe on your own risk. Canning the meat improperly is a risk of getting botulism which is very dangerous.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

30

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 364Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 541mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 35g

These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix

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6 Responses

  1. Thanks for sharing this! My great grandparents were polish immigrants, and although the family lost most of it’s connection to Poland my mom has memories of her mom doing this recipe, but couldn’t remember the exact process. I’m trying to reconnect us to our culture, so this type of content is very helpful!

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